Mortal Kombat: Ascension
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Sequel to Mortal Kombat: Reflections. During the battle at the pyramid, Liu, Kitana, Kung Lao, Subzero, Sareena, Scorpion, Jax, Sonya, and Johnny Cage are caught in Blaze's essence upon his defeat. What will happen to the heroes?
1. Prologue: The Story so Far

Mortal Kombat: Ascension

A Mortal kombat Fanfiction

By The Headcrook

Legal BS Disclaimer: All characters and other stuff belongs to Midway Entertainment. This is the sequel to my first MK fic, Reflections. After playing Armageddon, I took some liberties with several of the characters' endings and made it into a 'what if' kind of a tale.

Prologue

_My one-time stepfather once told me that an ending was merely a new beginning in disguise._

_As much I hate to admit, he was right...although none of us have seen this coming._

_We were in Edenia, Liu and I, when we received word from our spies in Outworld. Shao Kahn had formed an unholy alliance with the former ruler of Outworld, Onaga and the two sorcerers, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. How those two were still breathing I will never know, but it appeared that along with the Shokan, Goro, Sheeva and Kintaro, with the Black and Red Dragon clans and that freak from Seido, Hotaru, among many others, that they were planning a massive assault on my homeland._

_And from the look of things, no one would be left alive._

_Fortunately, being the heiress to the Edenian throne and wife to the Mortal Kombat Champion, I wasn't without allies. Within hours, the forces of good were rallying to my call for help. The undead ninja Scorpion, the Lin Kuei cryomancer Subzero and Sareena, the Netherrealm demon who once helped his brother, the Special Forces commandos, Cyrax, Jax, Sonya and Kenshi, the shaman Nightwolf, and many more._

_We had to stop them in the Edenian Southlands. I lured them into a massive canyon, where it would be easy to contain them there. However, should things went bad for my side, then it would be nothing more than a deathtrap. I also knew that should we inflict enough damage on Kahn and his allies, then they would no longer be a threat and there would be peace eternal._

_We met in battle inside the canyon. My mother, Queen Sindel, Liu, and I led the assault. Old eneimes clashed with one another, hoping to end their rivalries once and for all. Shao Kahn and my mother fought against each other, and I encountered the clone that I once regarded as my sister, Mileena, and the Edenian traitor, Tanya._

_Thank the Elder Gods that Jade was there. She had a score to settle with Tanya...eventhough she was supposed to be dead by her hand. The Special Forces had their hands full with fighting the Black and Red Dragons, with Li Mei assissting the Special Forces._

_I, however, didn't know that this battle was different from all the others. I didn't know that battle after battle of Mortal Kombat had put all of the realms to the brink of Armageddon._

_As the battle raged on, a pyramid appeared, rising from the ground and into the air, causing all of the fighters to stop and stare at the sight._

_At its apex, was the fire-being known as Blaze._

_"**Hear me! Hear me and heed my call!**" Blaze bellowed from the apex. "**Defeat me in Mortal Kombat and you will be granted the powers of a god!**"_

_Almost immediately the alliances were formed were immediately tossed asunder as everyone rushed for the pyramid. Kahn, Shang and those who desired powers wanted it for themselves while the forces of good tried to stop them in their tracks, attacking friend and foe alike._

_I saw Liu fighting Lord Rayden, who had became corrupt following the incident with the Deadly Alliance. However, Mileena wasn't done with me just yet. She wanted the power for herself, so that she could overthrow me and take control of Edenia. I could not let that happen. I defeated my clone and rushed towards the apex, hoping that whoever was fighting Blaze was one of the good guys._

_At the same time, from all corners, came Liu, the action star Johnny Cage, Jax, Sonya, Sareena, Subzero, Kung Lao, and Scorpion. Jade was at my side as we rushed to the top._

_When we reached the apex, I saw that it was Taven, one of the two sons of the Edenian God Argus, fighting Blaze. As soon as we were on the landing, Taven felled Blaze with a powerful drop kick. Almost immediately, Blaze's body became unstable, as if I had performed the Kiss of Death on that thing._

_Then he exploded...and that was the last thing that all of us have seen before blacking out._


	2. Chapter 1: Decisions, Decisions

Chapter One

"...ana...Kitana..."

Woozy, Kitana slowly opened her eyes. Through her bluured vision, she could make out two figures crouching over her. One of them was waving their hand in front of her face, snapping their fingers on occasion. As her vision cleared, she saw both her husband and her best friend looking at her with concerned looks on their faces.

Kitana felt like Kahn had drilled her in her skull with his Wrath Hammer. "Ugh...what happened?" she groaned, holding her head.

Liu had his hands on her shoulders and was gently raising her to a sitting posistion. "I don't know," he replied. "The last thing we all remember was that we were at the apex when Blaze was defeated. Then he exploded and we were all knocked out cold."

Kitana looked around. It appeared that they were inside a temple of sorts. Lit torches lined the walls. Outside, they can see that it was raining.

The Edenian princess also noticed that she wasn't alone. In one corner, the Lin Kuei cryomancer Subzero was helping Sareena to her feet. Kitana noticed that his mask was off, and that he looked much younger and that his forearms and hands weren't blue, reminding her of how he looked during the Outworld invasion. 'Maybe it was because of the Dragon Medallion,' she thought.

A wry smile came across her face as Sareena realized that she was naked. The former assassin of Quan Chi 'eeped' and hid behind Subzero in some form of modesty.

Jax and Sonya were helping Johnny Cage to his feet. For the first time since the Outworld tournament, the bionic implants that Jax had wore were now absent, showing off his real arms.

"Take it easy," Jax said. "Are you okay?"

Johnny, without his trademark sunglasses, shook his head. "Anyone get the number of that truck...or tank?"

Kung Lao, in the meantime, was standing over the body of Scorpion. The specter was flat on his back, eyes closed. In the meantime, Sareena had found a discarded piece of cloth long enough to cover her body and wrapped it around herself. Subzero, in the meantime, was standing beside Kung Lao.

"Is he dead?" Kung Lao asked.

Subzero shook his head. "One thing about specters is that they don't stay dead. You can kill them in any way possible, and they still come after you."

The Lin Kuei grandmaster and the descendant of the Great Kung Lao immediately hopped back when one of Scorpion's arms shot upward, releasing his trademark Spear. The roped kunai impaled itself into the ceiling, allowing Scorpion to pull himself to his feet. Once the yellow-clad ninja was standing, the spear dislodged from the ceiling and went back into his hand.

In an instant, his hands went to his mask and in one quick motion, Scorpion yanked it off. Instead of the flaming skull that everyone was used to seeing when Scorpion removed his mask before lambasting his defeated opponent, they were shocked to see a human face instead. A handsome face of Japanese ancestry with black hair neatly combed back, and dark brown eyes, instead of the lifeless white ones. Scorpion felt his face, feeling warm flesh instead of hard bone.

"I'm...alive?" he croaked. "How..."

"...is that possible?" a new voice said, interrupting Scorpion's chain of thought. "It is the will of the Elder Gods, ninja."

A tall man with gray hair and a matching bears appeared, dressed in Edenian robes. Kitana and Jade recognized him almost immediately. Kitana bowed, as did Jade. "Lord Argus," Kitana began. "What are you doing here? I thought you were dead."

"As you can see, young Kitana," Argus replied, "I, as well as my wife, are very much alive. This temple which all of you are in, is holy ground."

Sareena blanched. "If this is holy ground, then why am I here? I'm a demon from the Netherrealm. So I shouldn't be here. If anything, I should either be dead or ejected back to the Netherrealm."

"Allow me to explain that part," Argus said. "When you were caught in the Blaze's essence, your demon side was destroyed. You are now fully human." He looked at Scorpion. "And you were granted your life back." He paused for a moment. "I have foreseen many years ago that battles in the name of Mortal Kombat would cause Armageddon, so Delia created both Blaze and the pyramid as a sort of a fail-safe plan."

Liu was starting to understand. "And you had your two sons compete for the prize should they defeat Blaze."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting the power to pass through Taven and into all of you," Argus replied. "Delia came to me and suggested a new plan." He paused for a moment, scanning each of their faces. "You all know that Shinnok had exterminated most of the gods in his attack on Earthrealm and Shao Kahn had done the same thing when he invaded Edenia. The Elder Gods have given me permission to give all of you a choice. One that will change all of your lives."

"Which is...?" Sonya began.

"All of you will transend your humanity...and become the new gods to protect the realms..." Argus paused to look at Liu. "...and Lord Rayden has asked that you, Liu Kang, to take his place as the God of Thunder."  



	3. Chapter 2: Immortality

Chapter Two

Liu blinked. "God of Thunder? Me?"

Argus nodded. "Yes. Lord Rayden holds you in high regards. Fujin has already decided to become an Elder God in Rayden's absence. Rayden is a capable fighter, but in his attempt to destroy Onaga with his essence, he has become corrupt. You, on the other hand, will stand for what is right and defend the weak, not kill them for weaknesses we all posess. So, Liu Kang...what is your answer?"

Liu thought about it long and hard. "Okay. I accept."

Argus smiled. "Lord Rayden was right about you," he said. In a thunderclap, Rayden's staff appeared in his hand. "Take Rayden's staff, and immortality and the powers of the god of thunder will be yours."

Liu reached out for it, but relented. "What will become of Rayden?" he asked.

"He will be stripped of his title, but will retain his immortality and powers, albeit on a weaker scale," Argus replied. "He feels that he must atone for his actions."

Thankful that his mentor would be spared, Liu took the staff in his hands. Electricity arched through his body as he felt Rayden's power surged through him, causing him to fall to his knees, still gripping the staff in his hands.

Kitana rushed to his side, but Liu raised one hand, stopping her. "I'm okay, Kitana," he said, looking at her, his eyes glowing an electric blue before returning back to normal. "I'm okay."

Kitana placed one hand on her husband's shoulder. "How does it feel?" she asked.

Liu exhaled sharply. "What a rush."

Argus cleared his throat. "Princess Kitana..."

Kitana turned and looked at the Edenian God.

"I've known your father very well," Argus said softly. "Jerrod was a good man, and an able ruler. He would have been proud of you and your mother. I've watched you fight, how you move like the wind, silent and swift. As of this moment," he began, as a small gale of wind materialized in his hands, "you are now the Edenian Goddess of Wind."

He flung the gale at Kitana, which nailed her squarely in the chest, and send her into the air. Almost by reflex, the Edenian fighter, now a goddess, flipped out of the 'attack' and levitated several inches in the air, before landing on her feet, a look of amazement in her face.

Argus turned to the exotic-skinned Jade. A second staff, similar to Jade's own weapon materialized in his hand. "Jade, you are Kitana's longtime friend since the days under Shao Kahn. In effect, you two could be nothing more than sisters. You are the opposite of Kitana, fighting with the ferocity of a wildfire."

He tossed her the staff. Jade caught it effortlessly. Upon catching it, the staff caught on fire, yet it didn't burn Jade's hands, although she felt the power within surge through her. "You are now the Edenian Goddess of Fire."

Argus' attention turned to Subzero and Sareena. "Subzero, the last of the cryomancers. You are indeed the master of the element of cold and ice, yet unlike your older brother, you value human life. You should feel honored in becoming the first God of Ice." He looked at Sareena. "Your companion will also master the powers of cold as the new Goddess of Ice."

Scorpion was next. "Hanzo Hasashi, of the Shirai Ryu clan. The Elder Gods have granted your life back, but that will not be enough to maintian the balance. Your ninja clan, as well as your family - which had been wrongfully slaughtered by Quan Chi - will be resurrected, with you as Grandmaster. Your vengeance is that of the fires of Hell itself. Therefore, you are now the new God of Fire for Earthrealm."

In an instant, Scorpion bowed to Argus. "Thank you, Lord Argus," he said, his voice choking with emotion. "I--my clan are in your debt."

"Johnny Cage," Argus said, turning to the movie star. "You may have an ego, but you flow like the water that is needed to sustain life in the realms. You won't hesitate to fight for the forces of good, but your ego leaves something to be desired. As of this moment, you are now the God of Water."

In an instant, Johnny became transparent. Skin, clothes, everything. Johnny realised what was happening, sputtering out, "What the??" before he regained solid form. He then cracked a grin. "Cool."

"Major Sonya Blade," Argus continued, "You have a stong and driving sense of justice and honor, so this should be fitting to your personality. Like the Lin Kuei ninja and his companion, this is also a first. You are now the Goddess of Order."

"I will not fail, sir," Sonya replied.

Argus turned to Kung Lao. "I have something that would most interest you, descendant of the Great Kung Lao. The remaining energies from Blaze's essence has formed a new realm from the remains of countless realms that Shao Kahn had destroyed in his years of war and conquest. This realm will house refugees from all realms who seek to live in peace. If you choose so, you will be the new God of Wind and protectorate for this realm."

Kung Lao was shocked. "Me? The protector of this new realm? I...I would be honored to do so."

Finally, Argus turned to Jax. "Colonel Briggs. You are indeed the strongest in the world, but you need not mere bionics to prove it. You can move the earth itself with your bare hands. As of this moment, you are the new God of Earth."

"Wait a moment," Kitana interrupted. "We need to get back to the pyramid."

"No need to rush," Argus replied. "In this temple, time goes as fast or as slow as I want it to go. For every hour you spend here, one second will pass back in Edenia. All of you need to learn how to harness your powers before you go back, otherwise, all is lost."

Over the course of several hours (which counted as only a few seconds back in Edenia), the new gods and goddesses studied and learned their powers. Kitana learned to create her trademark fans out of the wind itself. Subzero was giving Sareena (now dressed in a black-and-blue-trimmed version of her fighting uniform she wore that day at the pyramid, but no mask) pointers on how to use her newfound Kori powers. Sareena was delighted when she materialized a pair of Kama, her old weapons from her days under Quan Chi, out of ice, as well as her newest weapons, the Demon Fangs.

Jade and Scorpion were sparring, the yellow-clad ninja using his sword, while Jade had her staff. Both of the aforementioned weapons were on fire as they sparred. Jax had learned how to make his skin hard like rock (yet maintaining his human form). Sonya discovered that she now had superhuman strength and agility, while Johnny made his body and clothes completely liquid, but at the same time, can still attack like normal. He also learned how to use water as a projectile, honing it to the point that whoever gets hit would be the same as being caught in a flash flood.

Kung Lao and Liu Kang were watching their friends get used to their powers. Kung Lao was floating, cross-legged, on a gust of wind, while Liu was creating sparks of electricity on his index and middle fingers.

"Not bad for a descendant of Kung Lao and a former Shaolin Monk, don't you think?" Kung Lao quipped.

Liu nodded. "And I thought dying was something I didn't expect. Now I'm the new God of Thunder and you're the God of Wind for some new realm. So what did Argus told you anything else about this realm?"

Kung Lao thought about it for a moment. "Well, it's mostly mountainous and tropical forests in the north and in the south are a bunch of volcanic islands," he explained. "From what Argus told me, it is something like Edenia." He looked at his longtime friend and rival. "Lord Rayden would be proud of you. You are the Mortal Kombat champion, after all."

"Thanks," Liu replied. "Good luck with guarding your new realm,"

Kung Lao nodded. "I'm gonna need it."

After several hours of training, Argus decided that it was time for them to go. "May the Elder Gods watch over all of you," he said.

In a split second, the new gods and goddesses for Earth and Edenia found themselves back at the pyramid, either flat on their backs or facedown. What Argus have said was completely true: mere seconds have passed since Blaze had exploded.


	4. Chapter 3: Edenian Showdown, Part One

Chapter Three: Part One

In the time the new deities had spent honing their new powers, only a mere five seconds had passed.

It took them a few moments to realize that they were back in Edenia, at the pyramid. They also realized that the fighting had temporatily stopped when Blaze was defeated, and that all of the fighters' attention were on them. Unfortunately, the majority of the fighters were on the side of evil.

It was, however, Shang Tsung, who spoke first. "NOOO!!! They received the godlike powers!" He also noticed that he was closest to Liu Kang. Drawing his sword, he charged at the former Shaolin Monk-turned-thunder god. "The power will be mine!"

Liu looked at his nemesis and merely smiled. He then raised his hands, Emperor Palpatine-style. A massive bolt of lightning shot from his fingers and caught Shang in the chest, the force of the lightning bolts was the eqivalent of being hit by Shao Kahn's Shoulder Ram, ejecting Shang from the pyramid and sent him flying to the ground below, where he made a nice crater upon impact.

Liu, however, wasn't finished. In a bolt of thunder, he teleported from the apex to where Shang was getting to his feet. As Shang watched Liu calmly approached him, the demon sorcerer gathered his power and fired a Flaming Skull. Now, Shang Tsung's Flaming Skull attack wasn't any ordinary projectile, per se. In truth, the attack itself is in fact, the lifeforce of an extinguished soul.

And as the Earthrealm and Edenian fighters alike know, Shang's primary attack is indeed a formidable weapon.

Liu however, came prepared. He unleashed another lightning bolt, this time destroying the Skull, which was followed by his trademark Flying Kick, knocking Shang back several more feet.

But Liu wasn't finished. Not by a longshot. Eventhough it was against his beliefs, being a former Shaolin Monk and all, Shang Tsung had to suffer, for he did to him and for assissting Quan Chi for killing his friends. He raises his hands once again and let loose a violent volley of lightining, which only intensified with what Liu was feeling. His eyes went from brown to electric blue and finally, to blood red as the lightning increased in strength.

But Liu wasn't going to electrocute him to death. That would be too good for him. He stopped attacking Shang, who fell to his hands and knees, and moved behind him. Shang felt Liu grab his hair, jerking him upright. Shang felt his hands clamp down on his head and almost immediately, knew what Liu's intentions were. Shang Tsung knew he was a dead man, but even so, he grabbed at Liu's arms, trying to stop him.

"Y-You don't have what it takes to kill me," Shang hissed. "You don't kill other people! You're a--"  
**  
CRACK.**

The unmistakable sound of a neck snapping was heard all throughout the canyon as Liu violently twisted Shang's head a complete 180 degrees. Shang's body went limp as he fell forward to the ground.

Shang Tsung was dead.

"I'm a _former_ Shaolin Monk," Liu stated, his eyes going back to normal. "Now, I'm the new God of Thunder. Rot in hell, sorcerer."

The fight then intensified, with the villains attacking the new gods and goddesses...well, if they could reach them, but the forces of good were still in their way. Sonya, however, saw Kano and the chase was on.

Upon arriving at the base of the pyramid, Sonya found herself surrounded by Kano and his fellow Black Dragon members. Jarek, Kabal, Kira and Kobra had every way out blocked, effectively blocking Sonya in as they advanced on her, with their various bladed weapons drawn.

"There's no way out for you, baby," Kano drawled in his thick Austrailian accent, knives drawn. "You got lucky all those years ago. Now, it ends."

Sonya looked back at her enemy. "Actually, there's no way out for YOU, or your friends, Kano. Surrender now, or if you want, resist and save me the trouble of taking you in."

Kira twirled her blades, which she dubbed 'Dragon Teeth.' "My, my...aren't you a cocky little bitch. I'm so going to enjoy this."

Kano looked at the buxom redhead. "You stay there, Kira, as well as the rest of you. Blade is mine."

As Kano advanced on the blonde officer, Sonya merely smiled at Kano. Then her expression changed as she cast a hard glare at the one-eyed mercenary.

In an instant, Kano was engulfed in flames. He managed to let out a single scream before he was reduced to a pile of ashes, then only thing that remained of him were his knives and his metal faceplate, the glowing red light died out.

The other Black Dragon members watched in complete horror as Kano was obliterated. Kira, however, was the first to recover. When Sonya turned to face the remaining Black Dragon members, Kira plunged both her knives in Sonya's torso. Sonya's face was that of complete surprise as the redheaded Black Dragon member pushed her knives deep into Sonya's body.

Kira had a look of complete satisfaction on her face. "That's for Kano, you blonde bitch," she spat out.

Sonya looked down at the knives in her gut. Then she looked back at Kira. "Ow," she said in a mocking tone before casually, almost leisurely backhanding Kira with superhuman strength. Kira scrambled back as she watched Sonya yank out both blades with her hands. Kira, in the meantime, was scrambling back to safety, until she reached Kabal.

Sonya looked at the blades. They were, of course, stained with her blood, as they should be. She looked down at the two holes in her torso and saw that the wounds were closing themselves up rapidly. In a matter of seconds, the wounds were gone, although Sonya's shirt was still bloody, not leaving a hint of broken skin or even a scar.

"Wh-what the hell are you?!" Kira gasped, now scared upon seeing that her knives had absolutely no effect on Sonya.

Sonya looked down at Kira. "I'm the Goddess of Order..." Her voice then took on a severe hardness. "...and you've just made me VERY angry."

Meanwhile, both Jarek and Kobra tried to attack her from behind. In an instant, Sonya spun around and tossed both knives at the two men. The knives found their marks, embedidng themselves into Jarek and Kobra's chest. Sonya threw them with enough force, the men were knocked off their feet upon the knives impacting their chests.

They were both dead before they hit the ground.

With Sonya distracted from killing both Kobra and Jarek, Kabal made his move. Hookswords drawn, he charged at Sonya. However, Sonya moved with the same speed as Kabal, somersaulting into the air landing a hard kick into the small of Kabal's back with vicious force.

The Black Dragon member let out a strangled scream as he felt his back snap as he stumbled into the bodies of his fallen comrades. Sonya turned around and upon seeing the mangled Kabal in the midst of his dead comrades, she blew him a kiss.

However, it wasn't your ordinary kiss, since a normal kiss wouldn't incinerate the opponent upon defeat.

When Sonya blew her kiss, a small ball of flame appeared, fluttering harmlessly into the air for a moment before making a beeline for Kabal. The result was instant. Upon impacting with Kabal, the ball expanded, catching not only Kabal, but the bodies of Kobra and Jarek as well in its flames.

Kabal managed to let out one final scream as the flames engulfed him. After several moments, once the flames finally subsided, the only thing that was left were three charred skeletons, pieces of burnt clothing and weapons and the remains of Kabal's mask and respirator.

Kira, after watching Sonya singlehandedly eradicating four Black Dragon members, did what was probably the most smart thing she has ever done in her life.

She got to her feet and ran for her life.

Sonya turned from the skeletal remains, preparing to finish off Kira, but saw that she had ran off. Sonya contemplated going after her, but decided that her friends needed her help.

"You can run, Kira," Soyna shouted after the retreating figure, "but you can't hide! Mark my words...**I WILL DESTROY THE BLACK DRAGON!**" 

Meanwhile, Kitana had fought her way to her mother, who was defending herself against several Tarkatan soldiers. One massive whirlrind had forcibly ejected the attacking mutants from attacking Sindel, thanks to Kitana, but the damage was done. Sindel could hardly stand, due to suffering a leg injury from one of the Tarkatan blades. The Edenian queen was leaning on her Kwan Do as Kitana approached.

"I'm sorry, Kitana," she said as Kitana helped her to a sitting position. "I can't fight anymore."

Kitana placed a reassuring hand on her mother's face. "It's okay, Mother. You've fought well, and you got the wounds to prove it."

Sindel managed a small grin. "There is a radiance to your face, Kitana. It must be because you are now a goddess. Your father would be proud of you."

"We need to get you out of here," Kitana said.

At that moment, Rayden appeared. Eventhough he was no longer Earthrealm's protector, he still fought on. "Perhaps I can be of assistance."

"Lord Rayden, my mother is injured," Kitana said. "Take her back to the palace and make sure she receives medical attention."

The former thunder god nodded. "Will do." He the noticed someone approaching Kitana from behind. "In the meantime, protect yourself."

Kitana spun around, just as Rayden took Sindel and teleported her from the battle.

Mileena was approaching. Sais drawn, the Edenian-Tarkatan clone was out for blood. Namely Kitana's.

"There you are," Mileena hissed. "This ends now, my dear sister," she said, pronouncing the last word with sarcasm. Even after all this time, Mileena still regaded Kitana as her sister and Shao Kahn as her father.

Kitana's eyes narrowed. "You should be dead," she stated, remembering on her wedding day that Baraka has presented her with Mileena's severed head.

Mileena didn't bother to respond to Kitana's barb. "Once I kill you and Queen Sindel, Edenia will be mine!"

She threw her sais, aiming for Kitana's head. The former stepdaughter of Shao Kahn countered by catching them out of the air and throwing them back at Mileena. One of them nailed her on the side of her face, severing the veil and slicing a narrow gash in her right cheek.

As the veil fluttered to the ground, Kitana got a real good look at Mileena's face. Eventhough she saw what she already looked like without the face mask, it still sends chills down her spine as Mileena was a living, breating witness as to what Shang Tsung's dark sorcery can do.

Mileena looked like Kitana in very way. However, her mouth was anything but. Shang Tsung had mixed Kitana's essence with that of a Tarkatan, creating a clone that was loyal to Shao Kahn, and acted as a spy to her own 'sister.' However, there was a one-in-a-million chance that the clone would be slightly deformed and unfortunately, Shang had landed on that one chance, since Mileena's mouth had deformed into that of a Tarkatan, complete with razor-sharp teeth. Her mind was also damaged as well, since Kitana had killed her killed her in the Outworld Tournament and she was later resurrected by Shinnok.

With a mad look in her eyes, Mileena let out a blodthirsty howl and lunged at Kitana, tackling her to the ground. The two rolled along the Edenian dirt, punching, kicking and clawing at each other, until Mileena ended on top, hands around Kitana's neck, hoping to choke the life out of her.

"**YOU GODDAMNED BASTARD!**" Mileena screamed. "**FATHER ALWAYS LOVED YOU MORE THAN ME! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU! HE GAVE YOU EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!**"

Kitana managed to kick Mileena off of her. Coughing violently, taking in gulps of air, Kitana saw Mileena making a beeline for her, having rerieved both her sais, ready to take her apart limb from limb, if necessary. Kitana rolled out of the way, materializing a pair of fans in her hands. Eventhough they weren't her trademark steel fans, her wind fans were just as deadly as their steel counterparts.

Kitana ducked as Mileena attacked, unfolding her fans and slicing Mileena in the abdomen. Four slashes appeared across Mileena's torso, spilling blood, the insides threatening to splill from the wounds themselves. The look on Mileena's face was that of complete shock more than the intense pain. Her sais fell from her hands as Mileena keeled over, holding her stomach, blood dripping from her mouth.

Mileena then felt herself being levitated into the air, and saw that Kitana was the once responsible. Using her newfound powers, Kitana had gotten Mileena in a helpless posistion, but in a way so that Mileena was at eye level with Kitana.

Kitana regarded the freak she once considered a sister from a lifetime ago. "Mileena...you had the choice to come and join me in overthrowing Kahn, yet you chose to stay with him out of sheer jealousy. You can't have my life, Mileena. I'm sorry things had to end up this way. But there is a way to make things right."

Kitana then leaned in and kissed Mileena softly on the forehead. "This is my final gift to you...sister. Here is the peace in death in which you couldn't get in life."

She then turned and walked away as Mileena slowly began to swell like a helium balloon. "**KITANA!**" Mileena screamed as the pain became unbearable. "**I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL YET, YOU BITCH! I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!!!**"

**KA-BOOM!**

Those were Mileena's last words as she exploded in a gruesome shower of blood and body parts. Kitana continued to walked back into the fray, not turning around even once to witness the effects of her infamous Kiss of Death.

Subzero and Scorpion were working together, taking on all newcomers, including a squad of Shokan warriors that Kintaro and Sheeva had brought in as backup. Eventhough they had the numbers advantage, they were no match for the Gods of Fire and Ice, as the charred and frozen remains were the witnesses to the carnage that the two ninjas had brought.

"You fight well, Lin Kuei," Scorpion noted. He was now back in 'specter' mode. "Your brother would have been proud of you."

"And you are the best that the Shirai Ryu has to offer," Subzero replied with the same courtesy. He then noticed Hotaru, naginata in hand, gunning for him. Scorpion saw him coming as well.

Subzero cracked his knuckles. "You don't know when to quit, do you, Seidan?" Subzero asked. "Kenshi killed you."

Subzero remembered all too well two years ago. He had formed an alliance with the Special Forces operative Kenshi in order to return to Earthrealm, wiping out a large number of Baraka's Tarkatan forces, gaining Hotaru's attention, who was in Outworld at the time, allied with Onaga. Hotaru himself had came across the two men inside the Living Forest and had blinded Subzero with an energy blast.

Seeing as how Kenshi was already blind (thanks to Shang Tsung's treachery), Kenshi was unaffected, since his sight was more of a spiritual nature rather than physical. When Subzero's vision came back, he saw that Kenshi had cleaved Hotaru neatly in two, from his head down to his crotch.

Hotaru chuckled. "Lord Onaga, in his mighty wisdom, is as merciful as always," he replied, holding the naginata at the ready. "He brought me back to life, so I can serve him. And now, Lin Kuei, your friends can't save you now. You will pay for your crimes against Lord Onaga, ninja." He looked at Scorpion. "And your friend as well."

He swung the naginata in an overhead swing at Subzero's head. The Lin Kuei cryomancer merely caught the blade in his index and middle finger and held it with inhuman strength. Hotaru then watched in horror as the naginata's blade began to freeze.

"For the record," Subzero replied, "I am not a ninja. I am Lin Kuei." He motioned to Scorpion, who was at the moment, hacking a Tarkatan lackey apart with his sword. "Scorpion is the ninja."

With that said, the blade was completely frozen, and Subzero shattered it with his other hand. "You really think you can take on a god?" Subzero cooly asked Hotaru, still holding the broken naginata's staff in one hand.

Seeing another Tarkatan approaching from his left, Subzero kicked Hotaru in the gut, and yanked the naginata's staff from his hands. The Lin Kuei god swung the staff, cracking the back of the attacking Tarkatan's head open. Then, in a grisly homage to his late older brother, Subzero reached into the stunned Tarkatan's back and after several jerks, yanks the bloodied spine and skull out from the Tarkatan's body.

He then threw it at another incoming Tarkatan, the skull shattering on impact, but more importantly, knocking the Tarkatan out cold.

When Subzero and Scorpion turned back to face Hotaru, the both saw that the Seidan Guardsman was being double-teamed by both Dairou and Darrius. The bald, dark-skinned Seidan stopped attacking and turned to the two elemental gods.

"With respects, Grandmasters," Darrius said, bowing. "Leave the order freak to us."

Subzero and Scorpion returned the gesture and returned to the fray.


	5. Chapter 3: Edenian Showdown, Part Two

Chapter Three, Part Two

Scorpion in the meantime, had caught sight of two other baddies he wanted to see dead, other than Quan Chi.

The two Oni, Moloch and Drahmin.

Scorpion growled internally. "Drahmin and Moloch," he said. Without giving Subzero fair warning, he rushed off. Subzero looked after the furious ninja and saw who he was going up against.

Instinct told him to move and forunately, Subzero trusted his instincts as much as he trusted his friends. Subzero jumped straight up into the air, just as Frost came sliding by, hoping to knock him off his feet. Unfortunately, she missed.

The former student faced off against her master, slowly circling one another.

"You should have killed me...sifu," Frost said. "Instead, you left me to die in Outworld."

"You've done that yourself," Subzero replied. "You disappoint me, Frost." He sighed. "Then again, part of it was my fault. I taught you how to fight, but I didn't teach you how to think."

"Don't lecture me, Subzero," Frost retorted. "I see through your lies. I've spent two years in Outworld, biding my time, harnessing my Kori powers...waiting for the perfect moment to kill you and take over the Lin Kuei."

Subzero smiled evilly, eventhough Frost couldn't see it with his mask on. "You couldn't control the Dragon Medallion. What makes you think you have a chance of beating me? You think I make ice boats just for fun, little Frost? You have no idea as to what I am capable of." Slowly, his hands began to turn into living ice, from his hands up to his elbows. "And now you joined the forces fo evil just to get to me? You are pathetic."

Frost grinned evilly as she former Kori daggers in her hands. "You hesitate, Subzero. That's the ultimate flaw of compassion."

Subzero balled his hands into fists. "The flaw of power is arrogance, little blade."

Frost charged at Subzero. However, this fight wasn't going to take place. Frost was so caught up in attacking Subzero that she failed to see Sareena's sneak attack on her, until it was too late. Foot met face, and Frost was flat on her back.

The female cryomancer turned to her male counterpart. "Sorry. She just wouldn't shut up," she said sheepishly. "I'll deal with Frost."

Subzero waved her off. "She's all yours."

When he turned from the two dueling women, he found himself face-to-face with someone he was hoping that he wouldn't have to kill.

His brother, or rather, the Netherrealm wrait, Noob Saibot.

Subzero's voice caught in his throat. "Big brother..." he whispered.

"Your brother is dead," Noob replied flatly.

Subzero nodded. "So it seems," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Over a decade ago, the elder Subzero was the Lin Kuei's most cunning assassin and thief. However, it was during the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's island that Scorpion - whom Subzero the Elder had bested - killed him in kombat.

Subzero's soul descended into the Netherrealm, free from compassion and emotion. In time, he became a wraith, having completely shed his humanity. And now, he was facing against his younger brother, now the Lin Kuei grandmaster and the God of Ice. Were he the former Subzero, he would have been proud of him. But now...

Subzero looked at the wraith that was once his brother, and Subzero returned the gesture. "Today is the day, Subzero," Noob said. "This ends now."

Subzero nodded. "Yes. It ends now."

It was a Mexican standoff, in the midst of the ensuing chaos that surrounded them. Then the two attacked.

Scorpion, in the meantime, was closing the distance on the two Oni, knocking battling fighters aside like Godzilla stomping through Tokyo. Sheeva came at him, Shokan Blades at the ready. However, Scorpion's ninja sword, the Mugai Ryu, was more than a match for the female Shokan. Its blade ablaze with the fires of Hell itself, Scorpion made short work on the Shokan, severing her limbs, the head the last thing to fall from her mutilated body.

Drahmin saw the advancing Shirai Ryu ninja, sword in hand, ready to deliver his vengeance. The last time they saw each other, both Drahmin and Moloch had double-teamed Scorpion, who was gunning for Quan Chi, beating him within an inch of his (undead) life. Seeing as how one can't kill someone who was already dead, both Moloch and Drahmin instead tossed Scorpion into the Soulnado, where Scorpion was ripped apart.

Now, Scorpion is back with a vengeance that was only seen with the elder Subzero. Moloch, after mauling some random Shokan warrior, turned on Scorpion, who att aht precise moment, unleashed his Spear on the ball-wielding Oni. However, Moloch had it scouted and caught it with his other hand. Yanking the ninja to him, Moloch clocked Scorpion with his iron ball, sending the ninja straight into the air.

Moloch thought that he had gotten the ninja out of the way. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Scorpion was coming back towards him and Drahmin. The two Oni saw that Scorpion's mask was off, this time, revealing the infamous grinning skull. Scorpion opened his mouth and a massive stream of fire came out. Drahmin rolled out of the way, but Moloch wasn't very lucky.

The Oni let out an inhuman howl as he was immolated alive, the fires reducing him to nothing but bones and ash. Scorpion landed, Mugai Ryu now resting in its sheath. Drahmin hurled a ball of Outworld rotflies at the ninja, but they were instantly incincerated by a belch of flame. Scorpion lunged at Drahmin, feet abalze as he performed a backflip, both feet catching the dreaded 'Oni Tormentor' in the face.

The mask was knocked off of Drahmin's deformed face. In an instant, he went into his Oni fighting style. The mask he wore kept him sane and disciplined. Removing it, however makes Drahmin goes into a murderous rage.

This time, it was that murderous rage that would prove to be, in his battle with Scorpion, his undoing. Scorpion himself had learned how to harnessed his inner rage to the point it was borderline demonic.

Once Scorpion landed, Drahmin punted Moloch's skull at the skull-headed ninja. Once Scorpion kicked the skull out of the way, it proved to be just enough to distract Scorpion as Drahmin moved in close enough to knock Scorpion in the head with his iron club.

Scorpion's head, upon impact, rotated a complete 360 degrees before settling back into its original posision. "That almost hurt," Scorpion hissed, right before dodging another iron club to the face. Spear in hand, Scorpion came back up and violently slashed Drahmin in the neck, severing both his jugular veins, causing a splatter of blood to stain Scorpion's uniform.

Then Scorpion went down on one knee and sliced again, this time across Drahmin's torso. The blade went through Drahmin's flesh like a hot knife through butter, cutting the Oni in two as the top half flipped and landed on the ground.

Then as he did with Moloch, Scorpion incinerated the two halves of Drahmin before placing his mask back onto his face. He secured his bloodied Spear and once again, drew his sword, and went back into battle.

Meanwhile, Subzero was fighting for his life against Noob Saibot. And he was getting the worst of it. Noob, however, wasn't going through his battle completely unscathed, since Subzero had caught him with several devestating blows. But now, Noob had the advantage, after countering Subzero's freeze attack with his own: he teleported behind Subzero, grabbed him and slammed him on the canyon floor. Hard.

Troll Hammer in hand, Noob approached the cryomancer, who was on his hands and knees, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head. However, Subzero, acting out of pure instinct, quickly materialized a Kori Blade in his hands and slashed upward, destroying Noob's weapon, but more importantly, slashing Noob across his chest. The Netherrealm wraith fell to his knees, before falling over onto his back.

Then, something happened.

Darkness enveloped Noob, consuming him completely. Then as if the morning sun pushes back the night, the darkness was gone, revealing someone that Subzero would not have in his lifetime, would see again.

His brother, the elder Subzero. The elder brother was still dressed in the Lin Kuei uniform, the same one he wore during the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's island fortress, but the injury that was inflicted upon him was still present. It was clear that he was dying.

Subzero dropped the Kori Blade and rushed over to his brother, pulling him into a sitting position. "Brother, hold on! I can save you, just hold on!"

Subzero the Elder slowly shook his head. "You already have, little brother," he said. "Thank you...for not giving up on me." He looked at the younger Subzero. "Let...let me see your face."

The Lin Kuei grandmaster removed his mask and cowl. Subzero the Elder took in the sight of his younger brother. The combed back hair and the scar over his right eye. "You haven't aged well," Subzero the Elder said jokingly. "Help me...take my mask off."

Subzero did as his brother wished, removing the mask and cowl, revealing his brother's face for the first time since the incident with Shinnok's Amulet. Sareena rushed over to the two brothers, having knocked Frost out cold. "What happened?" she asked.

"I freed him," Subzero said sadly.

Subzero the Elder looked at the woman. "Sareena...I thought you were dead."

Sareena shook her head. "No. I was expelled to the Fifth Plane, but I came back. Your brother gave me asylum within the clan." There were now tears in her eyes. "A lot has happened since you died."

Subzero the Elder nodded. "I know. I know everything." He looked at Subzero. "Dad...he would have been proud of you." He clasped his hand into Subzero's. "You managed to learn how to value human life, unlike myself." He noticed Scorpion approaching, and jerked slightly.

Sareena saw this and calmed the dying man down. "It's okay, Subzero," she said. "Scorpion is on our side."

The God of Fire knelt down in order to face his former adversary. Subzero the Elder was fading fast. "My old enemy," he said. "That night inside the Shaolin Temples...that was just business...but you fought with honor worthy of your clan. I...I should have spared your life then." He turned to his brother. "Make the Lin Kuei proud, little brother. I will always be with you."

Subzero the Elder relaxed as he breathed his last, his eyes going vacant as his soul moved on to a much better place.

Scorpion gently closed his one-time enemy's eyes as Subzero laid his brother's body back to the ground, the yellow-clad ninja whispering a small prayer to the elder cryomancer.

"Rest well...Lin Kuei warrior," Subzero said, remembering how his now-deceased brother used to hate being called a ninja.

Jax was in the middle of fighting Motaro. The bipedal Centaur--now a Minotaur (thanks to Shokan black magic)--still retained his brute strength, but Jax, being the God of Earth, was even stronger, and proved it to Motaro by ripping off both arms, tail and smashing his head like a ripe watermelon.

Leaving the carcass of Motaro to rot, Jax found his target. The Red Dragon member Hsu Hao. And he wasn't alone. The Red Dragon boss (and Taven's brother) Daegon was there, as well as his second-in-command, Mavado.

Daegon had just witnessed Jax's brutal execution of Motaro. "Good show," he remarked. "I really should thank you and your friends. For years, we've been trying to eradicate the Black Dragon." A cold smile appeared on his lips. "It appears that your Special Forces have done the job, so I am feeling generous to give you a special one-time offer. We could use a good man like you within our ranks in the Red Dragon. What do you say?"

"Forget it," Jax spat out. "Because of your organization, particulary Hsu Hao, your organization destroyed a government facility, not to mention causing the deaths of over sixty agents." Jax balled his hands into fists. "That puts the Red Dragon in the same boat as the Black Dragon."

Daegon sighed. "Such a pity. You would have made a fine member of the Red Dragon." He turned to Mavado. "Keep our guest company while I go and find my brother." Daegon the made his retreat, leaving Mavado and Hsu Hao to deal with the new God of Earth.

The trenchoated member wasted little time. He show out his hooks, until they were embedded into the ground in front of Jax and propelled himself forward, feet first. Jax rolled out of the way. Before he could attack Mavado, Hsu Hao, armed with his Sun-Moon Blades, attacked Jax from behind, slicing Jax across the back with his bladed weapons. Unfortunately, for Hsu Hao, the attack had no effect, since Jax's skin was rock-hard (yet, maintaining his human appearance).

It did, however, destroyed Hsu Hao's blades.

Annoyed, Jax decked Hsu Hao, leaving him down down for the moment while he focused on Mavado. He broke the Red Dragon member's hookswords and tossed the weapons aside.

As Jax and Mavado fought, it was clear to Jax that Mavado, despite being on the wrong team, was a dignified and honorable fighter, unlike Kano. But it wasn't enough for Jax. The Red Dragon had to pay for their crimes. And Mavado would be the first.

Mavado fell to one knee as Jax stood triumphant, having beaten him within an inch of his life. Even in defeat, Mavado showed no fear in the face of death. He looked at Jax. "Give me a clean death," he said calmly. "An honorable death."

Jax nodded. "You fought well, for a Red Dragon. I am honored. You would have been a great soldier in the Special Forces."

Mavado smiled at the compliment, and closed his eyes.

Jax struck him in the temple, killing Mavado instantly. He then turned back to Hsu Hao. Guessing that he was probably resurrected by Onaga, Jax decided to put him down permanently. As he did before the battle with the Deadly Alliance, Jax walked over to Hsu Hao and yanked his cybernetic heart from his chest.

As before, Hsu hao died a most painful death.

Jade was currently fighting her way through several Shokan. Armed with her fire staff, the Edenian Goddess of Fire wasn't afraid to show off her new powers, as seen by the trail of ash and charred Shokan bones left in her wake. She had caught sight of Tanya, who was fighting alongside Onaga and seeing her alive only meant that somehow, after being mauled by a gang of Tarkatans and later decapitated by Jade, that the Dragon King had resurrected her.

Fortunately for Jade, Onaga had caught sight of his old nemesis, Shao Kahn and was making a beeline for him, leaving Tanya stranded. The Edenian traitor saw that Jade was closing in, and fast. Pulling out a boomerang, Tanya flung it at Jade, who merely knocked it to the ground with her staff. Tanya then disappeared in an orange plume of smoke, but Jade has seen Tanya pull this stunt off before.

"That's not going to work on me," Jade muttered, holding her staff at the ready.

Tanya, in the meantime, had snuck around Jade. This time, Tanya was holding her own orb of concentrated Tarkatan essence, with the intention of thworing it onto Jade as a measure of payback.

Jade felt Tanya's presence from behind her and quickly acted. She spun around, swinging her staff in an upward posistion, catching the invisible Tanya's hand that was holding the orb, knocking it into the air, not to mention nullifying her invisibility.

The exotic woman in the green then blinded Tanya with a small blast of flame, just as the orb came falling back to the ground. The orb shattered on Tanya, the foul-smelling liquid once again covering her, making her smell like a male Tarkatan.

Tanya realized that her plan had backfired in a major way. "Not again," she groaned.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Baraka was nearby, preparing to make mincemeat out of Li Mei when he smelled what he thought to be the scent of a rival Tarkatan male. In an instant, Baraka was on Tanya. Soon, several more Tarkata joined in, this time ripping apart Tanya limb from limb. Having seen this before, Jade turned from the sight and went back into the battle, hoping that Baraka and his henchmen would save her the trouble of killing Tanya.

Fortunately for Jade, in Baraka's bloodlust, he, as the other Tarkatans, ripped Tayna apart.


	6. Chapter 3: Edenian Showdown, The Outcome

Part Three 

The tide of the battle was starting to turn into the favor of the gods and their allies, forcing the forces of evil to fight as hard as ever. Nightwolf was fighting alongside the Edenian Rain. The American Indian shahman and the Edenian general worked together as a team, fighting off a horde of Tarkatan and Shokan warriors. The pair was successful in defending themselves against the attacking forces.

Nightwolf was catching his breath when he felt an extreme pain in the small of his back. Rain had stabbed him from behind.

The wound itself wasn't mortal, but it was enough to effectively immobilize Nightwolf. Tomahaws clattering to the ground, Nightwolf staggered to his knees as Rain pulled his Storm Sword from Nightwolf's back.

"You're far too trusting," Rain mused as he circled around the injured fighter.

"You bastard," Nightwolf spat out. "You, out of all people...why?"

Rain regarded the blood on his weapon. I've come to learn that only the strongest and the smartest stay alive. That is one of the reasons why I sided with Kahn during the Outworld Invasion. You see, shahman, I myself am half-god. Originally, my plan was to take the prize for myself, so I can enslave Edenia. And with my father now an Elder God, he wouldn't be able to stop me. So now..." He raised the sword over his head. "...after I deal with you, shahman, I will eradicate the Edenian royal family and take my birthright!"

However, a well-aimed razor-edged hat knocked Rain's sword out of his hand before disappearing into nothingness.

Kung Lao has made the save. And he had heard Rain's confession. The newly-appointed God of Wind has decided to deal with the Edenian traitor personally. "Liu and Kitana had their suspicions about you," Kung Lao said as another hat materialized on his head. "Looks like they were right."

It was true that Rain had fallen under suspicion by the Edenian royal family. He was in fact, the only person who was against Kitana's engagement to Liu, pointing out that not only was Liu from Earthrealm, but the fact that he wasn't of noble blood. Of course, after what had happened to Tanya, Kitana and Sindel were suspicious of Rain. Sure he had no more love for Outworld and Shao Kahn, but the suspected that he had his own ulterior motived for Edania.

It appeared that the royal family were right.

Rain kicked the injured Nightwolf to the side as he faced Kung Lao. "Let's see what the descendant of the Great Kung Lao is made out of."

He launched himself towards Kung Lao, feet first, with a constant spray of water propelling him forward. Kung Lao saw Rain perform this move once already and leapt towards Rain. Kung Lao flipped into the air, reaching down and grabbing Rain by the shoulders, causing him to flip with him and then, being tossed several feet by the new God of Wind. Rain countered by flipping out of the throw and landing on his feet. He saw that he had landed near his Storm Sword and quickly retrieved it.

Kung Lao was charging towards him. Rain smirked beneath his mask and raised one arm into the air. A lightning bolt came cashing down on Kung Lao, propelling him into the air.

However, this was only a trick from Kung Lao's end. Seconds before the bolt had struck him - or rather, the ground - Kung Lao teleported, making it appear that the bolt had found its mark. Rain the noticed something was wrong when Kung Lao had disappeared from the air. He then realized that he was tricked.

It would be the last mistake he would ever make.

Rain spun around, but Kung Lao was quicker. Hat drawn, Kung Lao lashed out twice with it. The first slice was through Rain's wrist. The second slice was an upward stroke, starting from Rain's crotch and ending at his head.

Rain's hand, which was holding the Storm Sword, fell to the ground, severed.

A thin red vertical line appeared from where Kung Lao had executed the second slice. Kung Lao secured his hat back on his head as Rain fell to his knees, both sides of him seperating cleanly before falling to the ground.

But Kung Lao was far from finished.

As he turned away from the sliced halves of Rain, Johnny Cage landed at his feet. Kung Lao looked at his attacker, or attackers.

The two Shokan, Goro and Kintaro, the latter power-punching the movie star clean across the canyon. Were it any other man, Kintaro would have punched him in two. Unfortunately, Mokap was the victim of Kintaro's brute strength. Fortunately for Johnny, Kintaro's punches had hurt like hell, not to mention breaking every bone in his torso. Kintaro held Johnny's prized shades in one hand. He then crushed them, the fragments falling to the ground.

One main aspect of godhood was rapid regeneration and healing ability. Within seconds, Johnny was healed and back on his feet. "Okay...now I'm mad."

"Is that what you Americans call 'taking one for the team?'" Kung Lao asked with a wry grin.

Johnny scowled at the God of Wind. "Shut up and help me out here." He pointed to Goro. "You take Goro. Mr. Bad Attitude is mine."

"If you insist," Kung Lao replied.

Years earlier, Kung Lao and Goro had made peace with each other. Now with the rampaging Shokan prince charging at him, it appears that the truce is now off. Which was just fine for Kung Lao. After all, some 500 years ago, Goro DID kill Kung Lao's namesake ancestor.

And although Kung Lao prayed a small prayer beseeching the Great Kung Lao's forgiveness for what he had planned, it was payback time.

Meanwhile, Kintaro charged at Johnny Cage. Johnny turned to Kung Lao. "Take your hat off and kneel."

Kung Lao blinked at Johnny's request. "What?"

"Just do it!" Johnny ordered.

Kung Lao did as Johnny had asked. He removed his hat and kneeled. Meanwhile, Johnny moved behind Kung Lao and took several running steps back. When Kintaro was close enough, Johnny took off. Using Kung Lao as a stepping stone, he launched himself into the air, sailing towards Kintaro.

Kung Lao thought that he was performing a Shadow Kick in mid-air. However, Johnny wasn't. Eventhough the green after-images were present, Johnny instead of using his foot, used both his knees instead to do the damage needed, catching Kintaro in both eyes, taking him down, in a fashion that would have made David and Goliath look like kiddie stuff. The tiger-striped Shokan roared in pain as he staggered back, his upper hands holding his eyes while his lower hands were reaching out for the offending human that had momentarily blinded him.

Using his advantage, Johnny moved in. He ducked under Kintaro's lower hands by going into a split and punching Kintaro in the groin several times. Now, if you are a human or a Shokan warrior, you will without a shadow of a doubt feel extreme pain when someone punches you in the family jewels.

And unfortunately, that's what Kintaro was feeling at the moment. His lower hands holding his groin, the still-blinded Kintaro sank to his knees as Johnny hopped to his feet, one hand balled into a fist.

"Those were $500 sunglasses, asshole," Johnny said, mentioning the shades that Kintaro had destroyed. He cocked his fist back, an evil grin on his face. "You've killed Mokap. Smile...you've been Caged!"

**KRACK!**

The movie star then executed a vicious uppercut causing Kintaro's head to be promptly liberated from his body in a geyser of blood as his body fell to the ground. Goro was the sole witness to the brutal decaptation of his Shokan-comrade in-arms. He let out a primal roar of rage and charged at the movie star, preparing to tear him apart with his bare hands.

**THWACK!**

Goro's eyes bulged as he felt something embed itself into his back.

"That was for my ancestor," Kung Lao spat out. He had tossed his hat at Goro, catching him in the back. As Goro staggered to his knees, Kung Lao yanked the hat out of Goro's back, blood flowing freely from the massive wound, and walked around so that he was facing him.

"And this...is from me," Kung Lao finished before bringing down his hat...

...right into Goro's skull.

Johnny winced as he saw Kung Lao execute Goro. The God of Wind then took several moments to pray to his ancestors, begging for their forgiveness before returning to battle.

Meanwhile, Shao Kahn was fighting for his life.

He had ascended from advisor to Onaga to Emperor of Outworld after poisoning the Dragon King. Now, Onaga had thrown aside the temporary alliance he had made with his former advisor.

Eventhough Shao Kahn himself had brute strength to rely upon, Onaga was even more stronger, and the broken arm and ribs that Kahn had suffered was proof enough of Onaga's strength. Worse yet, he witnessed several of his key allies killed by the new deities. Baraka and his squad of Tarkatans had already fled the scene, having suffered massive casualties. Mileena was dead, as were Shang Tsung.

And if things didn't look up soon, he would be joining them very soon.

However, eventhough he wouldn't admit it, he was glad that Reiko appeared. Armed with his trusty Crude Hammer, he was able to stun Onaga for the moment by bashing him in the head. While the Dragon King was reeling from the blow to the head, Reiko grabbed his master. "Emperor Kahn, we must retreat!"

Kahn shook his head, thankful that his helmet concealed his face, which was hiding the amount of pain that he was in. "No...no retreat." He grimaced in pain at his broken arm. "I never retreat!"

"Soverign Emperor," Reiko replied, "you are hurt. You can't defeat Onaga with just one arm! And the new deities will sure take their revenge on you if you stay. We must retreat back to Outworld while the opportunity presents itself!"

Surprizingly enough, Kahn saw the wisdom in his general's words. "Fine. In due time, my wounds will heal and I will return."

Leaning on Reiko for support, Shao Kahn made his exit. Havik, the Chaosrealm cleric, had also retreated back to Chaosrealm. Darrius and Dairou had chased Hotaru back to the realm of Seido. Sektor also withdrew, seeing the immese power that Subzero and Sareena now posessed. Daegon had fallen to Taven, who was also injured and was being tended to by Bo' Rai Cho. Frost had also disappeared, her whereabouts unknown. Nitara, eventhough she was on the bad guys' team, decided to withdraw from the battle. After all, she had no vendetta against the heroes and would wanted it to stay that way. Only Shinnok, Onaga and Quan Chi remained.

The new deities wisely decided that Onaga was the greater threat and while Subzero and Scorpion kept Shinnok and Quan Chi occupied, the remaining deities attacked Onaga. The Dragon King was more than enough of a challenge for them, sledgehammering the deities back.

However, it was Sareena who gave the deities the upper hand. Creating a Kori Demon Fang, Sareena quickly moved in on Onaga from behind. She flung the razor-sharp ice weapon at Onaga, neatly clipping his right wing off. Kitana immediately caught on and using her wind fans, severed the left. Onaga roared in pain as Scorpion, having knocked Quan Chi out for the moment, charged at the Dragon King, as did Kung Lao, the duo hacking at the Dragon King with their bladed weapons.

Not even the Dragon King himself could withstand such a brutal onslaught. He even tried to resurrect those that the new gods had killed, but found out that his resurrecting ability had been completely nullified by the gods' power. Scorpion ran the Dragon King through his heart, the blade incinerating the organ, along with the rest of him, ending the life of Onaga, the Dragon King, once and for all.

The battle was over. Only Shinnok and Quan Chi remained.

As Bo' Rai Cho and Li Mei tended to the injured, Shinnok made his exit through a portal back to the Neatherrealm. He spun around, holding his amulet in his hand. "As long as I have my amulet," he shouted, "I will return!"

Liu fired a lightning bolt at Shinnok, causing him to drop the amulet back into Edenia.

"No! The amulet!" Shinnok screamed as the portal closed, trapping him in the Netherrealm. "NOOOOOOO!!"

Apparently, being stuck in the Netherrealm was already bad enough for Shinnok. But now, he had numerous threats to his throne, as a result of the majority of the villains who were killed during the battle, their souls transported to the Netherrealm.

Liu picked up the amulet and destroyed it. Meanwhile, Quan Chi decided to make a break for it. Unfrotunately, he didn't get very far. The familiar WHOOSH was heard, followed by the Spear impaling Quan Chi through the shoulder.

Scorpion yanked him back to the pyramid. "Get...OVER here!"

Quan Chi found himself lifted off his feet by the force of the spear. He landed on his back. When he managed to get back to his feet, he found nine angry gods and goddesses surrounding him, most of them remembering their deaths by his hand two years earlier.

Quan Chi knew that without the amulet (or his broadswords) he was very much screwed in more ways than one.

He tried to run again...only this time, it was Liu who unleashed a bolt of lightning from the side, blindsighting the Netherrealm sorcerer, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Doesn't feel too good getting attacked from behind, doesn't it?" Liu taunted, remembering all too well the events that lead to him being killed by Shang Tsung with an assist by Quan Chi.

It was true as the saying goes: revenge is indeed a dish best served cold. For several minutes, the deities beat Quan Chi to the brink of death. Finally, Scorpion had enough and prepared to finish him off, removing his mask once again, revealing the cold grinning skull, but Subzero restrained the God of Fire.

"You can't kill him, Scorpion," Subzero said. "You do that and his soul will just return to the Netherrealm."

"He does have a point, ninja," Sareena said. "In time, he will return, stronger than ever. We can't risk that."

Scorpion knew that they both were right. "So what do you suggest then, Lin Kuei?" he hissed back.

Sareena's face took on an evil grin. "I got an idea." She turned to Quan Chi and advanced on him.

Quan Chi was coughing up blood. "You traitor," he spat out. "You betrayed me...me! I gave you your human form to hide your demon side! And now you become the whore to that...ninja," he said, glaring at Subzero. He attempted to banish Sareena back to the Netherrealm, using what little remained of his powers. However, now that Sareena was no longer a demon, his powers had no effect on her.

"I'm human now," Sareena said as she gathered her Kori powers. "Death is too good for you, Quan Chi."

As everyone watched, Sareena engulfed Quan Chi with her freezing ability, until Quan Chi was encased in a block of ice, a look of complete horror on his face. Scorpion walked over to the block of ice and tapped on it with his sword. "Hmm. Quan-sickle," he said.

Sareena turned to Subzero. "You said that the Lin Kuei temple used to be a temple for Delia, right?"

Subzero nodded. "Yeah. What about it?"

Sareena turned to Taven, who approached the victorious fighters. "Taven, are there any secret passages inside the Lin Kuei temple that we don't know about?"

Taven nodded. "There is one. It's deep underground. What are you getting at?"

Sareena explained her plan. "Well, we take Quan Chi and hide him there for eternity. I purposely combined my Kori powers with a bit of sorcery, making the ice indestructable. Not even Scorpion can break through it. We hide him there and seal off the passage."

Liu nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me." He looked around the landscape, at the bodies of the fighters, both good and bad. He saw that the cop Kurtis Stryker, Johnny's friend Mokap and Shujinko had fallen in battle. Both Cyrax and Smoke were heavily damaged, the yellow-armored ninja missing an arm. The winged vampire Nitara was injured in the battle and was forced to retreat. Many others were seriously injured.

Kitana moved to her husband's side. Liu wrapped one arm around her waist as she looked around the battle site. "Where's Kahn?" she asked.

"He retreated with Reiko," Liu replied. "Looked like Onaga gave him a broken arm."

Subzero turned to Taven. "That underground passage you mentioned. I know of it. It has the same lock mechanishm that kept your armor sealed inside."

"So we seal Quan Chi inside and Taven locks the door," Sonya said. "Then, we either barricade or as Sareena suggested, seal off the passage so that no one can enter. Sounds like a plan."

_Edenian Palace, Edenian Capital, later on..._

"How is my mother?" Kitana asked Rayden. The Edenian princess/goddess saw that Rayden had changed out of the dark armor and into his old outfit which he wore in the Outworld Tournament.

"She's resting comfortably," the former Thunder God replied. "There was minor damage to her leg, but she will be fine after she rests." He looked at Kitana with a small grin. "Goddess of Wind. It suits you."

"Thank you, Lord Rayden. So what will you do now?"

Rayden thought for a moment. "Now that I've relinquished my status as a god, I really don't know."

"There's Kung Lao's new realm that he is assigned to protect. You could go there," Kitana suggested. "You could also stay here in Edenia, if you wish."

Rayden decided that maybe a change in scenery would be nice. "Perhaps..."

Bo' Rai Cho heartily slapped his two former apprentices on the back, causing them to stagger slightly. "Never in my wildest dreams that two of my most successful apprentices would become gods! This calls for a celebration!"

"That hurt, Master," Liu said, wincing slightly. "You can't return to Outworld. More than likely, Shao Kahn would have a price on your head by now."

Bo' nodded. "That's true."

Kung Lao stepped forward. "Master Bo' you could help me with the new realm. I plan on opening a branch of the Wu Shi Academy there."

Bo' thought about it for a moment. "What's in it for me?"

It was Liu that made the save. "How about a lifetime supply of Earthrealm sake?"

That did Bo' in. "Agreed! You always knew what I liked, Liu Kang." His laughter rang throughout the western halls of the Edenian Palace.

In another part of the palace, Jade, Sonya, Johnny, Sareena, and Li Mei were tending to the wounded. The exotic-skinned goddess was securing a splint to Kai's leg, which was broken by Sheeva.

"There," Jade said, finishing her task. "You deserve a rest, Kai. You fought well."

Kai grinned. Apparently the Edenian medicine he was taking was working. "You outfought me, Jade. That and you didn't get mauled by a rampaging Shokan."

Jade looked around, making sure that no one was looking. Then she quickly leaned in and gave Kai a quick kiss on the forehead. "For a speedy recovery," she said, leaving Kai with a goofy grin on his face.

Sonya was in the final stages of dressing Nightworlf's wound. Fortunately, Rain had missed anything vital, but the wound was more than enough to stun the shahman. With Li Mei assissting her, Sonya applied over thirty stitches to Nightwolf's wound before bandaging it. Li Mei herself had a bandage around her torso, showing that even she didn't get through this battle unscathed.

The two women rolled Nightwolf on his back. "There you go," Sonya said. "Just lay there and rest up."

"You know what you're doing, Blade," Nightwolf grunted as he laid on his back.

Sonya shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't just me. Li Mei helped as well."

Li Mei shrugged her shoulders. "Outworld medicine is pretty effective. You pick up some things surviving this hell. I heard that Master Bo' is travelling to the new realm. I will go with him and continue to atone for my past sins."

Both Nightwolf and Sonya was well aware of Li Mei's near-betrayal. Two years earlier, Li Mei's soul was transferred into the mummified remains of a soldier who once served under the Dragon King. Her memories had mingled with that of the undead soldier, and once Li Mei's soul was restored back to her original body, she felt that Onaga was more deserving of victory. She attempted to betray her friends, holding them at bay while Onaga worked on the Kamidogu, but failed when Bo' Rai Cho knocked her out and Shujinko took down Onaga.

Before the gathered fighters could attack the confused Outworlder, it was Bo' that spoke in her defense. Since that incident, Li Mei has decided to train under the Outworld master's tutelage. When the battle at the Edenian canyon took place, she decided that this was the best time for her redemption and eventhough she took a spear to the gut, she continued to fight on.

"I think that even after all this time," Nightwolf replied, "all is forgiven. You have proved yourself to everyone here."

Johnny, in the meantime, was standing over his fallen friend. Mokap was killed during the battle, killed by Kintaro. Johnny had personally retrieved the two halves of his body. He said a silent prayer before drawing a sheet over the remains.

Ever since 'Ninja Mime,' Johnny and Mokap were friends. While Johnny relished in being in the spotlight, Mokap worked behind the scenes, his specialty being special effects. In fact, he was out sick that day when Shang Tsung had attack Johnny shortly after the Mortal Kombat tournament.

Johnny sighed. "Rest in peace, old friend."

Inside the cellar, Jax and Smoke were working on repairing Cyrax. Jax's knowledge on mechanics were helpful in fixing the yellow-armored cyborg. "How is his diagnostics, Smoke?" Jax asked.

"He's working at about 75 percent," Smoke replied. He looked at Cyrax's chest cavity. "You're going to need some body work done on the plate armor." He tapped on it a couple of times. "What is this? Titanium?"

Cyrax shook his head. "Not quite. It's a special type of alloy. Much stronger than what the Lin Kuei originally used when they automated us. One of the perks of working for the Special Forces. Why not join us?"

Smoke shook his head. "I maybe a cybernetic ninja, but I am still Lin Kuei. My place is with the new Grandmaster. Now that he is the God of Ice, he has his work cut out for him. I've heard that once he holds a funeral for his brother, he and Scorpion will form an alliance between the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei. The new aliiance between our clans will help protect Earth alongside the Shaolin Monks as well as defend against Sektor and his clan of ninja."

Meanwhile, Subzero held a silent vigil over his brother's body.

He had changed out of his battered Lin Kuei uniform and into some fresh clothes. In accordance to Lin Kuei traditionm Subzero had washed and clothed his brother's body. However, instead of a spare Lin Kuei uniform, which he didn't have, Subzero the Elder was clothed in Edenian funeral robes.

Sareena walked into the room and knelt down beside the distraught Lin Kuei grandmaster. The former Netherrealm demon took his hands into hers. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Subzero shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." He sighed. "Most people would think of him as a cold-hearted bastard. But he is still my brother. Ever since we were kids, and even when we were initiated into the Lin Kuei, he always looked out for me. My brother...some think he is a man, others think that he is a monster. But he will always be my brother."

Sareena decided that just being there for Subzero was more than enough.

The realms were safe once more...for the time being.


	7. Chapter 4: A New Beginning

Chapter Four

Lin Kuei Temple - Artika Region, Earthrealm...several days later

Warrior drums were heard throughout the massive pagodalike structure, hidden in the frozen wastelands of Siberia, near the Arctic Circle. The Lin Kuei clan had come to pay their respects to a warrior of their clan who was long since dead, but his body had now returned home to be interred.

Inside the massive temple, two Lin Kuei warriors lead a funeral procession, beating on their drums. Behind them, six Lin Kuei carried the body of the elder Subzero on their shoulders, the Lin Kuei warrior dressed in a fresh uniform.

Behind them was the current Lin Kuei grandmaster, Subzero and his two lieutenants, Sareena and Smoke, the latter wearing brand new body armor, courtesy of the Outerworld Investigation Agency. Subzero went unmasked, dressed in his alternative Lin Kuei uniform (i.e., his MK3 costume). Sareena, as she was wearing during the Edenian battle days earlier, was dressed in a fresh uniform, now a full-fledged member of the Lin Kuei clan.

Following him was the new grandmaster of the resurrected Shirai Ryu, Scorpion. He was clad in a fresh ninja uniform (i.e. his MK2 costume), but like Subzero, he was also unmasked. His sword and Spear were present, yet tucked away. Along with the Shirai Ryu ninja was his wife and son.

Liu Kang and Princess Kitana followed, Liu dressed in formal Chinese-style robes, the red headband this time absent, while Kitana was wearing a formal Edenian mourning dress, her long hair tied into a single braid.

Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade followed, the movie star in a Western suit, while Sonya was dressed in her formal khaki uniform and beret. Jax followed them, also dressed in his formal military uniform, walking alongside Cyrax, having brought back working to full capacity.

Kung Lao and Rayden were the next-to-last, Kung Lao in Chinese robes, while Rayden was dressed in a black version of his old costume, minus the coolie hat. Rayden's expression was clearly a somber one, since he remembered warning the elder Subzero about the life he was leading after he retrieved Shnnok's amulet (which turned out to be a fake while Quan Chi kept the real one for himself).

* * *

Flashback

_The Temple of the Elements, over a decade earlier. A portal abruptly opened and a battered and bruised Subzero came flying through, landing at Rayden's feet, clutching the amulet in his hand. Rayden glimpsed into the portal, observing a transformed Shinnok before it closed._

"Here..." Subzero panted, holding the amulet up to Rayden. "The amulet."

Rayden took the amulet from the battered Lin Kuei warrior. "Impressive, Subzero," he muses. "Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all."

Subzero looked up at the thunder god. "That's it?" he asked, exasperated. He had just fought his way through the Netherrealm and came close to being killed numerous times. "Not even a 'thank you?'"

Rayden looked down at Subzero. "Thank yourself," he replied, "for undoing a problem you created." He turned to leave, but Subzero stopped him.

"Wait. I have a question," Subzero said. "Quan Chi told me that you sent me because my soul was tainted with evil. Is that true?"

Rayden took a brief moment before responding. "You are a superb warrior, Subzero. But only you are in control of your destiny. Not even the gods can alter your chosen path of life."

"Was that a yes...or a no?"

Rayden gave Subzero a smug look. "That was a yes...but only you can change it. "

End Flashback

* * *

'He should have listened to me,' Rayden thought as he and the others walked down the corridor.

Bringing up the rear was Bo' Rai Cho and Li Mei. Like Liu, the rotund master was dressed in Chinese robes while Li Mei was dressed in Chinese mourning clothes herself.

The funeral procession ended inside the crypt, where the bodies of previous Lin Kuei warriors who bore the codename Subzero were interred inside manmade depressions, encased in ice. The six Lin Kuei pallbearers brought the elder Subzero into a vertical position inside his place, then stood back as the younger Subzero stepped forward. Focusing his Kori powers, Subzero encased his brother in a wall of ice.

* * *

The reception was held in the great hall. A number of Lin Kuei warriors were mingling with several of the Shirai Ryu ninja, as well as some of the other fighters. It was during the reception that both Subzero and Scorpion had finally reached a truce, the two clans that were once enemies were now allies. Liu saw that Subzero was far off from the rest of the crowd. Excusing himself from Kitana and the others, he walked over to Subzero, who continued to look on.

"You okay?" Liu asked.

Subzero paused for a moment. "You have any family?" he asked.

"My parents were active in the underground," Liu replied. "Demonstrators, wanting democracy for China. They both survived the Tianamen Square massacare, but died later under unknown circumstances. I also had a brother." A sad smile crept across his lips. "Between me and him...I was the older brother. His name was Chow."

"What happened to him?" he asked.

"He disappeared shortly after our parents died. I asked Jax and Sonya to track him down before Shinnok invaded Earth." He paused for a moment. "Chow was in Hong Kong. Afterwards...he just up and disappeared. No one knew where he was going. Jax summed it up in three words: current whereabouts unknown. It was my responsibility to look after him when my parents died...and I failed. So I know what it feels like to lose a brother, and I can sympathize. It was also one of the reasons why I moved the Wu Tai Academy from China to America, because of the Chinese government views on personal freedom."

Subzero could relate to that. Before the Outworld invasion, several Lin Kuei members were members of the Falum Gong movement, and the Chinese government, whose policies on the movement where in their words 'a dangerous movement contrary to the public good,' was sent to eliminate the clan, claiming that the Lin Kuei were for 'dangerous thought.' Fortunately, both Outworld and Shinnok's invasion had bought him more time to relocate the Lin Kuei out of China.

"Whatever happened to Reptile?" Subzero asked.

"We found him lurking around Edenia after you left. He wasn't alone. There was a female Saurian with him. I guess Reptile found her after the Edenian battle. Kung Lao offered him a place to stay in the new realm, so long as Reptile behaves himself, since there is a price on his head. Reptile agreed, only under the condition that he and his race will be left in peace. From what I heard, he is in the new realms, rainforest, rebuilding his race. So what did you do with Quan Chi?"

"Well..." Subzero began.

* * *

Two hours earlier...

_Subzero, Smoke, Sareena and Taven placed the ice block containing Quan Chi in the middle of an empty room, several levels underground. The chamber was part of a hidden corridor that was only known to the three Lin Kuei members and the Edenian half-god._

Once the frozen sorcerer was secured, the four exited the room. Subzero and Sareena turned the room into one massive block of ice. Taven then placed his hand into the hand-shaped depression, and the room sealed, closing Quan Chi off from the world forever. Once Taven moved out of the way, Subzero and Sareena covered the door and the hallway in a massive block of ice tha not even Scorpion could melt.

"I'll get some of the members to wall up this area," Subzero said. "Tell them that it's basic repair or something. As of this moment...Quan Chi is a permanent resident of this temple...permanently."

* * *

Liu let out a low whistle. "So no one can break him out of there?"

Subzero shook his head. "Nope. That ice is permanent. Now, with Quan Chi out of the picture, I can finally focus on the future of the Lin Kuei. What about Shinnok?"

Liu managed a small grin. "I think that he has his own problems of his own. After all, whoever dies with a tainted soul is automatically transported into the Netherrealm. And Shinnok has several dozen fighters vying for his throne. And since I've destroyed his amulet, which makes travel between realms possible, Shinook's stuck there for eternity."

* * *

Shinnok's Spire, the Netherrealm

Some days, it doesn't pay to exist. At Shinnok's doorstep, were those who had died at the battle in the Edenian canyon.

Particularly those who had evil tainted souls.

And all of them - some of them undead, others transformed into wraiths - were charging into the spire, ready to take Shinnok apart.

It didn't take them long before they reached Shinnok's throne room. Despite his powers, Shinnok was overrun, having been ripped apart by a zombified Kintaro and Motato.

Shinnok's screams were heard throughout the Netherrealm.

And since he was still immortal, he would heal and regenerate, yet the screams would continue for all of eternity as the new residents of the Netherrealm would continue to torture the now-former ruler.

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


End file.
